Convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been transferred to a Colorado supermax prison, according to federal prison records.

Tsarnaev, 21, was listed Friday as being housed in the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, also known as ADX or "supermax," in Florence, Colorado, according to Bureau of Prisons records.

Tsarnaev was convicted in April and sentenced to death on June 24 for the terror attack that killed three people on April 15, 2013.

The prison is the most restrictive prison in America, and prisoners spend about 23 hours a day in solitary confinement in small cells with a single window.

A man was arrested Thursday for running onto the tarmac at San Diego International Airport.

The incident occurred just before 6 p.m. as planes were arriving and leaving Lindbergh Field.

The man allegedly jumped a fence at the east end of the runway and ran onto the airfield.

Harbor Police rushed to the area and took man in custody within five minutes, officials said.

A passenger on a plane that was taxiing at the time of the arrest captured the image while the aircraft was stopped on the tarmac.

Airport officials said flights were only delayed for approximately seven minutes.

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San Diego International Airport is located near the heart of downtown San Diego just north of the bay and west of Interstate 5.

In January 2013, a Marine recruit from the nearby U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) jumped two barbed wire fences to get onto the tarmac. The man was taken into custody without incident.

After that incident, NBC 7 Investigates obtained documents from the Harbor Police showing three accused intruders – all Marine recruits – were arrested between January 2013 and February 2014 for doing the same thing.

Glen Winn, an aviation security consultant who helped with an audit of Lindbergh Field, told NBC 7 Investigates airport officials have placed a police car on the runway to catch intruders faster.
 

Two men accused of first-degree murder in a cold case dating back to 1995 pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Friday.

Jamar Phillips, 37, and Samuel Sayles, 39, were ordered held on $2 million bail in connection with the death of 18-year-old Crystal Odom. In court, prosecutor Geoff Allard said the case was “gang motivated.”

“It’s been 20 long, hard, painful, suffering years,” said Gloria Jimenez, Odom’s mother, outside court Friday. “Every second, every minute, every day, every hour. These people destroyed my life.”

On April 29, 1995, Odom was parked at a gas station off Imperial Avenue with her boyfriend and infant daughter when they spotted a car full of people. Odom’s boyfriend recognized those inside as “potential problems,” according to Allard, and when Odom drove away from the station, the car followed without getting gas.

A few blocks later, the driver pulled up beside Odom’s car, and someone inside fired three shots, killing Odom.

The victim’s father, James Odom, was overwhelmed with relief when he heard the allegations against Phillips and Sayles.

“From a father’s perspective, today I can say I’m glad justice is taking its place because it’s been 20 years to get to where I’m at now,” James said. “If you were to ask me that the first day it happened, I would probably have a different reaction. But today, I can say I’m glad justice is taking its place.”

The prosecutor said neither of the two suspects are the alleged shooter, but both admitted to being at the scene of the crime. Gun residue was found in the car. According to a court-appointed defense attorney, Phillips was 17 years old at the time of the shooting. His attorney said he now works for the city of San Diego and lives with his wife and daughter.

The defense argued that bail should be lowered because neither suspect has had problems showing up to previous court appearances, and both have lived within San Diego County their entire lives.

At least two dozen of Phillips’ friends and family came to court to support him.

“I’m praying for my family. I’m praying for their family,” said Phillips’ wife.

Many turned out on Friday to celebrate the Second Annual Trans* Pride at Balboa Park.

This year’s Pride events are especially significant for the transgender community, as the community is being honored as the grand marshal of the San Diego Pride Parade.

The transgender community has much to celebrate this year, as the media attention of Caitlyn Jenner has brought the topic to the center stage.

“More people are coming out and coming to terms and realization that, ‘Hey, this is who I am. And look at the person that’s sort of who I am and what I am about,’” said Lisanicole Sarkisian of Trans* Pride San Diego. “Now they have a willingness in the community to come out and show themselves.”

Friday’s Trans* Pride was intended to raise awareness of therapy and counseling services as well as offering an open mic time for those struggling with gender identity.

An estimated 300 to 400 transgender people live in San Diego and about 80 transgender youth are here.

Clinical social worker Sue Boyd told NBC 7 that despite the current media attention to transgender individuals, the suicide rates among them are high, ranging from 30 to 50 percent.

In addition, the transgender community suffers from high rates of murder, self-harm and substance abuse, experts say.

She has an organization that offers assistance for those wanting hormone supplements, surgery and the overall transition.

Boyd said there are ways anyone can get help.

“If someone says, ‘Hi, my name is Sam and my pronouns are he and him,’ then you would use those pronouns and if you’re unsure then it’s OK to ask,” she said.

Bakers who refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple on religious grounds have raised $372,000 in donations to help pay fines.

A Christian couple, Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Oregon, closed their bakery in 2013 amid backlash over their decision to refuse service to the lesbian couple. Earlier this month, the bakery owners were ordered to pay a total of $135,000 in damages to the couple "for emotional and mental suffering resulting from the denial of service," according to court documents from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.

The donations made on the site Continue to Give were almost triple the goal and raise the most money of any personal fundraiser on the site to date, Continue to Give founder Jesse Wellhoefer said.

"Not only is our platform the perfect place for the Kleins to raise money, but we also appreciate the stand they are making for religious freedom," Wellheofer told NBC News.

Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher choked up Friday during a press conference where he lauded the bravery of the men on his force who sprang into action when a shooter opened fire at military facilities there.

"They are my heroes," Fletcher said about the men on his force.   

The Chattanooga officers, he said, dragged a wounded colleague to safety during a gunfight with the alleged shooter, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, and likely prevented more bloodshed.

On Thursday morning Abdulazeez killed four Marines and wounded a police officer and several others when he assaulted two separate military facilities in Chattanooga. He was killed in a fire fight with authorities, and his rampage is being investigated as an act of terrorism. 

FBI agent, Ed Reinhold, confirmed that Abdulazeez was not wearing body armor but he was wearing a load-bearing vest to carry magazines of ammunition while moving on foot.

A law enforcement official said the three weapons that Abdulazeez had were an AK-47-type assault rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a 9 mm pistol.

Fletcher said if not for the action from his team, things could have been worse. 

"No doubt officers in Chattanooga prevented loss of lives yesterday," Fletcher said in a press conference with FBI officials on Friday. 

Marine Corps. Captain Ty Balzer also expressed gratitiude for the police officers.

"The U.S. Marine Corps thanks the law enforcement and emergency personnel here in Chattanooga," Balzer said Friday. 

A number of spot fires popped up along Interstate 15, the California Highway Patrol reported Friday evening.

The fires, which amount to about two acres, were spread over a quarter mile from Centre City Parkway to Deer Springs, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Cal Fire says its crews contained the flames by 9 p.m.

CHP issued a Sig Alert for southbound I-15 at Deer Springs as firefighters attacked the fires.

A suspect who drove the wrong-way on the freeway and roads barricaded himself into a health care center's employee lounge before surrendering, El Cajon police said Friday.

Police started pursuing the suspect, who was in a stolen vehicle, just after 5:40 p.m. when they saw him drive the wrong way on residential streets.

The driver then entered the freeway and headed westbound in the eastbound lanes of traffic.

As he exited at Greenfield and continued in the wrong lanes, he eventually crashed into a parked car in the 1500 block of Broadway.

El Cajon resident Sharon Rodriguez was at home across the street when she heard a "pow." 

"And I looked out. The guy jumped out of his car and just ran down through that little tunnel looking thing, and just a bunch of cops came driving down and jumping out of their cars and chasing them," said Rodriguez. 

The suspect took off on foot and ran into the Country Hills Health Care and Rehabilitation Center at 1580 Broadway.

Officers said he used a soda machine to barricade the door of an employee lounge. No one else was inside and he did not encounter other employees, police say.

Police spent about half an hour trying to negotiate with the suspect, and they called in firefighters to pry the door open.

The man surrendered to police at about 7:30 p.m.

Ku Klux Klan leader says she "she could support other murders", but not the recent Charleston massacre, as her group prepares to march on South Carolina State House. WIS' Chad Mills reports.

Rainbow flags, parades and parties will dominate the Hillcrest area this weekend, but the good times come with some road closures.

Starting at 6 a.m. Saturday, the following streets will be closed until 4 p.m. that day:

• Centre Street from University Avenue to Park Boulevard
• Lincoln Avenue from Cleveland Avenue to Park Boulevard
• Normal Street from University Avenue to Washington Street
• Harvey Milk Street from Cleveland Avenue and Centre Street

Normal Street and Harvey Milk Street were also closed on Friday to make way for the Pride of Hillcrest Block Party that night.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, these streets will be shut down:

• University Avenue from 6th Avenue to Park Boulevard
• Evans Place from 5th Avenue to 6th Avenue
• 6th Ave from Upas Street to University Avenue
• Pennsylvania Avenue from 5th Avenue to 6th Avenue
• Balboa Drive in Balboa Park
• Brookes Avenue from 5th Avenue to 6th Avenue
• Robinson Avenue from 5th Avenue to 6th Avenue
• Ivy Lane from 5th Avenue to 6th Avenue

The annual Pride Parade starts at 11 a.m. at the Hillcrest Pride Flag at University Avenue and Normal Street. The 1.1-mile route heads west on University, turns south on 6th Avenue, left on Balboa Drive and ends at Laurel Street.

The map below includes all of the street closures.

A man convicted of second-degree murder for fatally “sucker punching” a victim in the Gaslamp Quarter will spend 15 years to life in prison.

Mahad A. Ahmed, 24, learned his sentence Friday in a downtown San Diego courtroom.

In May, a jury found Ahmed guilty in the murder of Michael Beaver, 25, outside a Gaslamp restaurant.

After a night out with his brother and a friend, Beaver was discovered unconscious on an F Street sidewalk in the early hours of June 15, 2014, suffering from blunt force injuries to his upper torso, according to San Diego Police. He died from those injuries at the hospital.

A deputy district attorney said that night, Ahmed’s group of at least three friends got into a dispute with Beaver. It began with a woman slapping Beaver in the face, and then another man punched him.

Finally Ahmed ran up and sucker-punched Beaver in the head, the prosecutor said.

A witness heard Beaver’s head strike a metal rail as he fell to the ground.

Ahmed’s defense attorney argued that Beaver was drunk and advanced on the group after he was first punched, City News Service reported. After Ahmed hit Beaver – ending a fight of about six seconds -- the group walked away, she said.

The prosecutor said Beaver’s blood was later found on Ahmed’s shirt. He was linked to the case while already in custody for another incident.
 

A SWAT team shut down streets in Bankers Hills as a standoff at an apartment complex unfolded Friday night, San Diego Police say.

Police were responding to reports of shots fired before 10 p.m.

The area between Redwood Street, Spruce Street, Front Street and 1st Avenue were blocked off as the SWAT team and police officers moved in.

A crisis negotiation team soon arrived at the scene.

A resident said she saw one police car and then heard sirens. When she walked over to investigate, officers told her to go back to her home.

"It didn't seem like they were overly excited at that point," said Julie Merry. "But then more and more cops started turning up and SWAT teams and people with rifles, and so it was like, OK, we're going home now." 

Check back here for details on this breaking news story.

Some campers, including 90 Girl Scouts and about 130 deaf and hearing-impaired children, in the Angeles National Forest were being evacuated Friday night because of a brush fire that is threatening some structures.

The Mount Kare campground was being evacuated because of the so-called Pine Fire, which erupted around 10 p.m.

Additionally, about 130 children who are hearing-impaired and deaf were evacuated. Another 170 people were expected to be evacuated as well, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Another two to three hundred campers were also being evacuated from Lion's campground on Big Pines Highway.

An evacuation center was set up Serrano High School at 9292 Sheep Creek Road in Phelan.

A separate Southern California brush fire played havoc with the Friday afternoon commute when it jumped a freeway in the Cajon Pass. The 3,500-acre North Fire infrerno stranded, then consumed, cars on the I-15 Freeway; burned homes and prompted other evacuations.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

Royal officials in Britain expressed anger Saturday that archive film showing Queen Elizabeth performing a Nazi salute as a young girl in the 1930s had been "exploited" by Rupert Murdoch tabloid The Sun. 

The nearly 80-year-old video shows the princess, aged about six, joining her uncle, Prince Edward, in raising an arm. Hitler was only just rising to power at the time.

Prince Edward faced accusations of being a Nazi sympathizer, and later abidcated the British throne to marry an American socialite.

The Sun defended its decision to publish the film, saying it was of "immense interest to historians" and would be seen in the context of the period.

But a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman criticized it: "It is disappointing that film, shot eight decades ago and apparently from Her Majesty's personal family archive, has been obtained and exploited in this manner."

San Diego's Hillcrest community will celebrate Pride this weekend with a full lineup of events, including a rally, block party and parade, all in support of the LGBT community.

The 21+ block party – and official kick-off to San Diego Pride weekend – runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the intersection of Normal Street and University Avenue in the uptown neighborhood known for its diversity.

Organizers say this year’s shindig will feature live performances, local DJs, giant LED screen, luminescent carnival rides and go-go dancers. The party headliner is JES, a singer, songwriter, producer, artist and DJ also known as the reigning “Queen of Rocktronica.”

The event will start with a ceremonial raising of the iconic 600-foot Pride flag that stands in the heart of Hillcrest.

Organizers say the block party will boast gourmet food trucks and outdoor beverage stands featuring cocktails and draft beer. Attendees can also opt for a VIP experience by reserving private cabanas and ordering bottle service. An official after-party will take place at Rich’s Night Club at 1051 University Ave.

Advanced general admission tickets are available online for $20 per person, while VIP admission is $45 and includes a few drinks and food in an exclusive lounge area. Organizers say all proceeds from this event will benefit the Hillcrest Pride Flag.

Before the block party, LGBT leaders will host the annual Spirit of Stonewall Rally at 6 p.m. at Marston Point on Balboa Drive and 8th Avenue. This free community rally will recognize leaders who are working to preserve the gains and meet the challenges of the LGBT community. This rally will be attended by Speaker of California Assembly Toni Atkins, San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria RISE San Diego CEO Dwayne Crenshaw and many others.

San Diego Pride weekend will continue Saturday with the annual Pride Parade starting at 11 a.m. at the Hillcrest Pride Flag at University Avenue and Normal Street. The 1.1-mile route proceeds west on University Avenue, turns south on 6th Avenue, left onto Balboa Drive and ends at Laurel Street.
Fittingly, the theme of this year’s parade is “Liberty and Justice For All.”

The weekend also includes the Pride Music Festival Saturday and Sunday at Marston Point in Balboa Park. Weekend general admission tickets to the music festival cost $20 per person.

In addition to Pride events in Hillcrest, other parts of San Diego are also supporting Pride in their own symbolic ways.

In the Gaslamp Quarter, for instance, 124 rainbow Pride flags are currently on display on Fifth Avenue atop each streetlight post that lines the street. The bright flags, presented by the San Diego Pride organization, will remain strung up in downtown San Diego through July 31 representing support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

Earlier this week, a rainbow flag was raised at the San Diego State University campus in honor of local LGBT Pride events. It stands in the 5500 block of Campanile Drive at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union flagpole and has been raised for the past eight years.

Meanwhile, on Friday morning, a large rainbow flag was set to be draped over the side of the State Building on Front Street in downtown San Diego in honor of the weekend’s Pride events. Speaker of the California State Assembly Toni Atkins will preside over the ceremony, accompanied by representatives from San Diego Pride, LGBT state employees and local LGBT leaders and allies.

The oversized flag will remain on the east side of the State Building throughout Pride weekend.

Atkins received permission from the office of California Gov. Jerry Brown to have the state display the flag at the building this year in the wake of the historic June 26 Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage.

Meanwhile, beginning at noon on Friday, Balboa Park will hold a Trans Pride celebration to recognize transgender men and women for their courage. This free event will be held at 6th Avenue and Quince Street, and will include a potluck and BBQ from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., many activities and workshops and a march at 7 p.m. from Juniper Street.

Transgender celebrity Caitlyn Jenner visited north San Diego Wednesday for Opening Day in Del Mar, and some fans hoped she would make at appearance over Pride Weekend as well.
 

Two people have died in a wrong-way crash on State Route 76 in Pauma Valley on Friday morning, officials said.

A Sig Alert was issued, as SR-76 has been shut down between Pauma Valley Road and Valley Center Road, west of Palomar Mountain.

The section of roadway was reopened by 2:30 p.m.

The crash happened at about 10:30 a.m. in the 16600 block of SR-76, when the 24-year-old motorist was driving his 2002 Mazda Miata the wrong way and hit a 2014 box truck head on.

The Escondido driver of the Miata and his 27-year-old passenger of Carlsbad died instantly, California Highway Patrol officers said.

Two men in the other vehicle, a box truck -- ages 49 and 43 -- suffered minor injuries and were taken to Palomar Hospital.

Officers said the men in the box truck were unable to avoid the collision in time.

Investigators don't yet know if alcohol or drugs played a factor. The crash remains under investigation.

Jarring video showing a man stabbing two San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) firefighters was shown in a courtroom Friday during a preliminary hearing for the accused attacker.

The short, 10-second clip – captured on a body camera worn by a security guard for the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) – shows the chaotic moments when suspect Ryan Allen Jones, 34, lunged at firefighters Benjamin Vernon, 37, and his partner, Alex Wallbrett, 32, on June 24 in East Village in downtown San Diego.

Several other firefighters and security guards can be seen rushing to the aid of the wounded firefighters while a guard yells out, “Cover now! Cover now! Cover now!”

The violent encounter with Jones happened while Vernon and Wallbrett were on duty responding to a medical call at a public transit station in East Village.

When officials arrived at the transit stop, Jones allegedly tried to interfere as they worked. After officials pushed Jones away, he became enraged, pulled out a knife and charged at Vernon. Wallbrett rushed to his partner’s aid and was also stabbed.

Vernon suffered two stabs wound and a collapsed lung while Wallbrett sustained stab wounds. Both firefighters survived the attack and were hospitalized.

Upon being released from the hospital, Vernon and Wallbrett said they were “damn proud” to work for SDFD despite the traumatic event. Both men said they looked forward to returning to work.

At least eight witnesses were slated to take the stand at Jones’ preliminary hearing, which was expected to last much of Friday.

The first witness was MTS security guard Angel Garcia, who was assigned to the Park and Imperial transit stop downtown on the day of the attack. He said he was called to assist an intoxicated man and Jones was at the scene trying to calm down that man.

The guard said he asked Jones to back away from the man so guards could call in medical help. After several requests, Jones allegedly refused to step back.

Garcia said his partner then called for medical assistance and firefighters arrived. Garcia said firefighters also asked Jones to step back, but again, he refused to listen.

Garcia said a fire captain and his MTS partner pushed Jones back, and Jones tripped and fell over a bench. When he got up, Garcia said Jones began throwing punches and then lunged towards Vernon and Wallbrett, who were standing nearby.

Jones faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Vernon and Wallbrett are expected to testify in the preliminary hearing Friday afternoon.

The U.S. Navy planned to give one of its own a spectacular sendoff Friday afternoon in San Diego.

Just before 2 p.m., 4 FA/18s planned to conduct a “Missing Man Formation” in honor of fallen Navy pilot, Rear Admiral Albert Jackson Monger. The jets were set to fly from Imperial Beach over North Island along the coast to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

Monger joined the Navy in 1943, immediately after high school graduation. He earned his Navy wings of Gold in 1947, and served his first combat tour in Korea in 1953.

Monger met his wife Billie at a drive-in in Corpus Christi, Texas while on temporary duty, and after a brief deployment the couple wed in 1951. The two were married 55 years until Billie’s passing in 2006 after living at 15 duty stations together.

Monger retired in 1980 after a 37-year career as a Navy pilot. He fought in both Korea and Vietnam and was awarded three Silver Stars, five Distinguished Flying Crosses and over 15 Air Medals.

He also received one of the most prestigious military awards only last year - the rare Presidential Unit Citation earned for extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy. The award was given to the air wing he commanded, CVW-21, and the carrier Bonhomme Richard while deployed to Vietnam in 1967.

Monger lost his battle with lung cancer at 89 years-old on July 7, leaving behind six children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

The military first performed a Missing Man Flyby in 1938 for Major General Oscar Westover who died in a plane crash. It has been used since then to honor fallen pilots.

Monger was interred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery with his wife Billie. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to any one of his favorite charities: Mercy Home for Boys & Girls; Franciscan Missions or Covenant House. An online guestbook to pay respects to Monger is available here.

A 23-year-old man accused of carrying out a string of attacks on women in North Park last spring and summer will face trial.

After a preliminary hearing lasting several days over several weeks, a San Diego County judge decided there was sufficient evidence supporting the charges against David Angelo Drake II. His case will go forward to trial.

The charges are connected to a series of attacks on women all in the residential area of San Diego west of Interstate 805 and south of El Cajon Boulevard. Many of victims reported being struck from behind and then assaulted after.

The attacks occurred between April and August of last year. Drake was arrested in September after a tip from a police officer’s wife who saw something unique about the suspect in the surveillance video.

The case centered much over eyewitness identification. None of the women could identify Drake, though DNA evidence linked him to some of the attacks, prosecutors said. Detectives have said he admitted to some cases, too.

A prosecutor said in court on Friday there was an unmistakable pattern tying all the cases together.

All of the women were attacked from behind and punched repeatedly in the face in an effort to knock them unconscious. Some of the women were sexually assaulted.

Here’s a look at all the cases:

April 30, 2014: Defendant is charged with assault with intent to commit a specific felony and assault by means to likely produce great bodily injury.

June 11: A woman told police she was thrown to the ground by one attacker on 33rd Street. Defendant is charged with sexual penetration (use of force), assault with intent to commit a specific felony and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury.

June 21: A woman was walking along Lincoln Avenue at 9:20 p.m. when she said two men attempted to attack her. Defendant is charged with assault to commit a specific felony and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury.

June 24: A woman was walking along Lincoln Avenue near Oregon Street and was knocked unconscious in an attack from behind, police said. Defendant is charged with sexual penetration (use of force), assault with intent to commit a specific felony and assault with intent to commit a specific felony.

July 20: A woman was knocked out while walking near the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Kansas Street around 1:20 a.m. Defendant is charged with assault with intent to commit a specific felony and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury.

Aug. 12: Defendant is charged with sexual penetration (use of force), robbery and assault with intent to commit a specific felony.

Aug. 28: The victim was attacked from behind, punched in the face and knocked out. She screamed for help and the suspect ran away, avoiding capture. Defendant is charged with assault with intent to commit a specific felony and assault by means to produce great bodily injury.

If convicted, Drake faces life in prison.

A typical Friday afternoon commute became an inferno when a brush fire jumped the 15 Freeway in the Cajon Pass and ballooned to 3,500 acres, lighting cars on fire, burning homes, sending billows of black smoke into the sky and paralyzing traffic in both directions. 

High winds hindered firefighters' efforts to battle the growing blaze which started at 2:33 p.m. Officials dubbed it the North Fire.

• California Wildfires: Photos, Videos and More

Mandatory evacuations were in place in the Baldy Mesa areas east of Sheep Creek Road, north of Highway 138, west of the 15 Freeway and Highway 395, and south of Phelan road, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

An evacuation center was set up at Serrano High School in Phelan.

Residents with large animals could be move them to the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville.

Capt. Josh Wilkins from San Bernardino County fire confirmed several structures caught fire. At least five homes were swallowed by the flames.

Fire officials urged commuters to stay in their cars because, "water drops can severly injure you." But, as the 3,500-acre brush fire shut down the freeway, the NBC4 live stream showed stranded commuters, faces covered, walking along the edge of the freeway as they tried to escape the fire.

Plumes of black smoke surrounded vehicles that were left stranded in the path of the burning blaze. At least 20 vehicles were destroyed and 10 damaged. A  boat on a trailer burned before the fire made its way to a semi that burst into flames. According to KLLM Transport Services, the company that owns the semi, the driver got away safely and the truck was empty.

Two motorists suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene, Wilkins said. The cause of their injuries was unknown.

#NorthFire smoke plume is visible on the Edwards AFB radar. pic.twitter.com/nU3P4WQXHx

— David Biggar (@DavidNBCLA) July 18, 2015

• MAP: Largest California Wildfires

Traffic was snarled for miles in both directions on the freeway. Southbound lanes were closed at Oak Hill Road and traffic was stopped from the Main Street exit. Two northbound lanes were reopened after 5 p.m., Officer Steve Carapia said, of the California Highway Patrol.

Some drivers were led through dirt roads away from the freeway and from the fire. Other drivers desperate to escape the blaze took to the unmarked roads on their own through the desert area.

Officials from the CHP requested assistance from tow companies in the Victorville area to help remove vehicles from the freeway.

"Stay away from Cajon Pass no matter which direction you're traveling tonight," Terry Kasinga said, of Caltrans.

An assessment of the road would be made before officials reopened it completely, she added.

According to the San Bernardino County Fire Department the fire moved at a "rapid rate." 

Crews from SBCFD and CalFire battled the blaze.

As of 12;30 a.m. Saturday, the fire was only 5 percent contained.